Aros: An Intelligent Air Conditioner for CleanTechies

In another sign that boring old appliances are ripe for a cleantech makeover, GE (NYSE: GE) and Quirky, the company that makes invention accessible, recently announced the launch of Aros – an app-enabled window air conditioning unit that promises to save energy and also pleases the eye. Aros is Quirky’s first major connected appliance and the fifth product developed out of the Quirky+GE partnership.

Controlled by the WINK app, Aros gathers information based on users’ habits, cost of energy, and budget to automatically maintain the perfect temperature and maximize savings for the home. Aros gets more brilliant over time, ensuring that the user never has to return to a too-hot or too-cold environment again.

“After receiving the submission for this invention, it was clear that this was a product that absolutely needed to exist, but a challenge that most companies would shy away from,” said Quirky Founder and CEO Ben Kaufman. “With the support of GE’s technology expertise, scale, and supply chain, we were able to focus our efforts on leveraging our community’s ideas into a beautifully designed product where every aspect of the product’s interaction was attended to.”

Aros was the idea of Garthen Leslie of Columbia, Maryland, who spent years helping to cut costs and conserve resources at the Department of Energy. Leslie said that it was his own dysfunctional air conditioner that sparked the idea for Aros. “I was tired of choosing between wasting energy or suffering through the stuffy summer heat.” He dreamt of a smarter air conditioner, beautifully designed for the modern day, and submitted his idea to Quirky. Months later, with the help of over 2,000 community members and over 80 years of GE’s experience with AC units, Aros was born. Aros is available today for pre-order at Amazon and will be available at major US retailers in May.

“This is a great example of how by working together GE and Quirky can re-invent an entire category quickly and at scale,” said Kevin Nolan, Vice President of Technology for GE Appliances. “Aros gives consumers a way to connect with new technology in easy-to-use, everyday ways, allowing people to remotely cool their living spaces and save money at the same time – a true breakthrough”.

Aros Product Features:

• Smart Schedule – Learns your usage patterns to automatically build a schedule for you.
• Smart Away – Aros will power itself down when you have left your home, and will prepare your desired temperature before you return.
• Smart Budget – The smart budget will predict your future costs using your schedule, weather data, and past usage information. Enter a budget for the month, and users will get notifications when they are approaching their limit.
• Control From Anywhere – Can be powered and controlled from anywhere in the world through the WINK app.
• Power – 8,000 BTU in-window air conditioning can cool up to 350 sq. ft.
• Easy Installation – Easy to install and fits into almost any window, with sliding fabric extensions that keep cold air in and hot air out.
• Multi-Speed and Cooling – Multi-speed fan with three fan speeds and three cooling modes.
• Beautiful Design – Aros employs a unique upward airflow to increase circulation and an easy-to-clean flat front face with touch-capacitive buttons.
• Washable Filter – Includes a washable filter that is easy to remove and clean.
• MSRP – $300.00

Aros can now be pre-ordered on Amazon.com